Are you in love with food, wine, and chocolate? Yes? Then you have to read this article. Put down anything you are doing and grab a cup of coffee or tea (or better yet a glass of fine wine and a chocolate bar) and keep reading.

In this article, we will cover topics such as the history of the wine industry in Walla Walla Valley, some news regarding it, and where it is right now. Next, we will get to meet the Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman, learn who she is, her works and activities, and where you can find her online. Then we will speak a little bit more about her wine shop and other business; its location, background, and events. Moreover, for the wine and food enthusiasts, we will give you a quick tour of Walla Walla’s secret places known only to locals. Now with a full glass of wine in one hand and a chocolate bar in the other, let’s get ready and delve into the world of the Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman.

The Wine of Walla Walla Valley

Historically, the Walla Walla Valley rose like a phoenix in the 1970’s as a wine industry leader around the world. The fertile lands of the valley allowed farmers to harvest world-class grapes to make the award-winning wine that tourists cannot get enough of, Walla Walla Valley on the borders of Oregon and Washington is one of the hot spots for wine tourism rivaling other prominent wine regions in Europe.

Walla Walla Valley’s special position in the American Viticultural Area grants it the ideal conditions to cultivate vineyards; there are currently more than 500 vineyards and wineries in the Valley. Moreover, the place is pretty much an established leader position in the wine industry around the world as a result. The Walla Walla Valley owes part of its notoriety for producing the best Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah wines.

At the time of writing this article, the wine community mourns the loss of Duane Wollmuth, who was a leader in the wine industry and for five years he was the executive director of the Walla Walla Wine Alliance. He died at the age of 60 suffering from a heart attack.

Meet the Owner

Catie McIntyre Walker is a Walla Walla native; she is the longest standing wine blogger in Walla Walla, since 2005, author and a freelance writer. Catie grew up in a wine-loving house. Her father taught her so much about beer, and wine, since he was a brewing beer in a home in the 1950’s before brewing beer was even a thing. Starting at the age of 18 she became active in the wine industry, making her beverages with her hands.

Over the course of 40 years, and as the Walla Walla Valley became the biggest wine region in the West Coast and the world. Catie traveled around the country to explore and taste wine. She developed a broad experience. She went to wine festivals and visited wineries across the globe. Catie also worked for ten years in winemaking and retail, learning in the process every aspect of making wine from grape kinds to secrets of winemakers.

Catie graduated from the Walla Walla College Institute for Enology and Viticulture and continued to study the subjects. She studied online marketing about wine, as well as its role in varied fields such as aromatherapy and life coaching. In fact, she even considered getting her life coach certification but decided to devote herself to wine instead. She also writes for many publications like Walla Walla Lifestyles Magazine and Washington Tasting Room Magazine. Catie is also the author of a magnificent book, “Wines of Walla Walla Valley: A Deep-Rooted History.” Published by the History Press.

You can read her wine blog: wildwallawallawinewoman.blogspot.com. You can find cool stuff there and more of her activities on passementaries.blogspot.com.

Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman (W5)

Catie is a hard working entrepreneur who after eight years of wine tasting and visiting wineries around the country, decided to settle down and focus on writing and to start her wine store. The store is near the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel and the Conference Center. The majority of wine tasting rooms are between Second Avenue and Main Street. W5 is suitable for finding the best of the best wines in Washington and Oregon. The prices there are affordable, but you can also find bottles over $100, Catie focus on value most and foremost.

Apparently, you can get any wine you want. You are encouraged to ask any questions. The wines do not only come from Washington and Oregon but from all over the world, so it is always wise to ask and inquire if you have a particular order in mind.

Catie also run another blog/business next to her wine business. Passementeries is an online store for home decor and offers advice on traveling from home; she calls it “trimmings.” You will also find exotic cooking recipes that are hard to miss. All in all, Catie has a colorful and prolific online presence and a larger than life personality.

Walla Walla Secret Places

Brasserie Four (Previously Grape field): One of the best places for lunch and dinner in downtown Walla Walla. It is a fantastic restaurant where you can find bistro style food. They have a great import wine list as well. In addition to Walla Walla’s wine, you can also taste French and Spanish wines.

Marcus Whitman Hotel: The perfect place to have a glass of wine during happy hours and the wine menu is one of the biggest in town. The sparkling wine is their best.

Stone Soup Cafe: A favorite “hide-out” for locals, offering delicious sandwiches and soups. An ideal place to fill your belly before going to taste wine.

Barnaby’s Pub: One of the best places for hamburgers and French fries. It is also a great place to take a break from all the wine tourism and mingle with locals of Walla Walla.

Summary

I hope you did not consume more than one glass of wine while reading this article, no, I am just kidding! By finishing this article, you now know the sui generis place of the Walla Walla Valley in the wine industry. Learned a lot more about the Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman and her life story, and discovered a handful of secret places to visit when you are in Walla Walla.

Man drinks beer, but the gods prefer wine. There’s more to wine than taste and texture; a lot goes into making wine. From terroir, how its grown, the condition of the vineyard, what the winemaker does with it, how long it has been in the bottle, how the bottle has been stored and so on. There are thousands of grape varietals from around the world. However, only a few hundreds of them are used in wine making. In this article will discover the top wine grape varietals worldwide according to research done by the University of Adelaide in South Australia. So buckle up and keep reading about the most favored kinds of wine in the known universe!

Cabernet Sauvignon (France)

This wine or grape varietal is grown virtually everywhere in the world. It has a woodsy cedar dark fruity smell; it also tastes fruity spicy and tannic which gives a cotton mouth feeling. To avoid the aforementioned state of mouth, let the wine air for a few more moments before drinking. It ages better though.

Merlot (Also France!)

Sometimes compared to Pinot Noir. This wine is softer and easier to drink because it is low in tannin. Although it is an excellent wine, it is somewhat underrated. The cheapest but good quality Merlots comes from South America, from Argentina and Chile. It has the aroma of grapes unlike many other wines; it also smells like blueberries and blackberries. Better served with lamb meat.

Airen (Spain)

A spectacular wine with a unique flavor. It has a creamy sensation on the nose, and the oak smell does not influence its white fruits aroma. The taste is arid and young, it also has a grapefruit zest and a snappy hazelnut flavor after the finish. It has a bright white color. Suitable for white meat.

Tempranillo (Spain)

Spanish in origin Bacchus himself would recommend this wine. It goes along just fine with all kinds of food. In the New World, the most popular flavors are cherry and tomato sauce. It has a similar body to Cabernet Sauvignon and also belongs to the same taste category. As for the Old World, Tempranillo is most famous in the Rioja district in Spain.

Chardonnay (France)

You will find Chardonnay everywhere from Rohde Islands to China, to South Africa. Taste varies significantly according to the climate. In a warm climate, it would taste more like tropical fruit flavors such as pineapple, mango, and guava. In a cold climate, it has a tart acidic flavors such as green apple, lemon and lime. Oak also strongly influence the flavor. Rich in texture.

Syrah (aka Shiraz) (France)

Syrah just recently joined the top list of most popular wines in the world. Syrah is similar to Cabernet Sauvignon in thick skin and density but not in the tannic structure, making it more of “drink me now” style of wine. This wine has a blackberry and black pepper quality that makes it very appealing and friendly and delivers a heck of a flavor per square inch when you serve it as a sauce on the side.

The research also mentioned Garnacha Tinta, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano Toscano, and Pinot Noir as most popular wines in the world.

So there you have it, the most popular wines in the world. Now go enjoy a drink and have fun. We hope you know what to choose!